State Labor Commissioner Victoria L. Bradshaw Resigns After
Many Accomplishments in Labor Law Enforcement

SAN FRANCISCO -- State Labor Commissioner Victoria L. Bradshaw, who spearheaded several new initiatives in labor law enforcement and the recent enforcement action which closed the El Monte slave labor operation, will leave her post at the end of the month, Director Lloyd W. Aubry, Jr. announced.

"Vickie brought extraordinary talent, expertise, and energy to the job of Labor Commissioner," Aubry said. "We will miss her, but she leaves behind many accomplishments she can be proud of."

Bradshaw, appointed by Governor Pete Wilson in October 1991, is the first woman to serve as California's Labor Commissioner. Her tenure included several new initiatives in labor law enforcement, notably the Targeted Industries Partnership Program (TIPP), focusing on the garment and agriculture industries and the Joint Enforcement Strike Force (JESF), targeting violations in the underground economy. While she served as Labor Commissioner, her office also began accepting complaints of employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

One of the most significant events of Bradshaw's tenure occurred last month.
After conducting an investigation based on a tip, she led a multi-agency enforcement team which closed a garment manufacturing operation using slave labor in El Monte. The action freed over 70 slave workers. The Labor Commissioner's office is pursuing civil action to recover wages and penalties due.

"It is hard to believe that I have been Labor Commissioner for four years," Bradshaw said. "It has been a very active and challenging time and it has been a job I have thoroughly enjoyed. I told Governor Wilson that I would stay for one year into the second term and now that time has come."